Google Maps API Map Tile workflows

peanut

Posted 18 September 2007 - 10:26 AM

peanut

Master Contributor

Validated Member

138 posts

Location:Austin, TX

United States

I have posted the following to the Google Maps API discussion group, but figured I would try here as well:

I am just wondering what workflows others are using to create tiles to overlay on the Google Maps API. The Google Maps API base maps are great but they have one limitation. They don't include the rivers and streams. The rivers and streams are important for us because we work with water quality data.

I have made tiles showing the Rivers and Streams at zoom levels 6 through 13 for the Colorado River Basin in Texas. I use the tiles on the following websites:

It would be great to add tiles at closer zoom levels but my process is too tedious.

The following is my process:

I first make a map with just the rivers and streams in ArcMap and export this map as an AI file to Adobe Illustrator in the Mercator projection. I open the file in Adobe Illustrator, convert the fonts to outlines and add white halos to all of the stream labels so that they will be visible on top of the imagery in the Google Maps API. I then save this new file as a PDF.

I then set up a document in Adobe Photoshop and place the PDF and scale it to line up with the Google tiles. In this process I turn anti-aliasing on to make the tile overlay look nice on the screen. I then use the Photoshop Tile Cutter script to cut the tiles for use with the Google Maps API.

Does anyone have a less tedious process that will produce nice looking tile overlays for the Google Maps API?

chafin

Posted 28 October 2010 - 10:25 AM

chafin

Newbie

Validated Member

1 posts

United States

Hi,

I was wondering if you could add any insight to the map tile process? I checked out your sites and I am trying to do the same thing with rivers and having multiple layers at once (rivers, counties, and watersheds). However, I am finding it difficult to figure out how the map tile process works - I am using gMap creator, but this does not allow for different images for the different zoom levels. I was wondering if there was an easier way to do this now or if you can explain the process you used for your site?

Thanks,

Jason

I have posted the following to the Google Maps API discussion group, but figured I would try here as well:

I am just wondering what workflows others are using to create tiles to overlay on the Google Maps API. The Google Maps API base maps are great but they have one limitation. They don't include the rivers and streams. The rivers and streams are important for us because we work with water quality data.

I have made tiles showing the Rivers and Streams at zoom levels 6 through 13 for the Colorado River Basin in Texas. I use the tiles on the following websites:

It would be great to add tiles at closer zoom levels but my process is too tedious.

The following is my process:

I first make a map with just the rivers and streams in ArcMap and export this map as an AI file to Adobe Illustrator in the Mercator projection. I open the file in Adobe Illustrator, convert the fonts to outlines and add white halos to all of the stream labels so that they will be visible on top of the imagery in the Google Maps API. I then save this new file as a PDF.

I then set up a document in Adobe Photoshop and place the PDF and scale it to line up with the Google tiles. In this process I turn anti-aliasing on to make the tile overlay look nice on the screen. I then use the Photoshop Tile Cutter script to cut the tiles for use with the Google Maps API.

Does anyone have a less tedious process that will produce nice looking tile overlays for the Google Maps API?